Divya Koya

Year in School
Junior

Major
Computer Science

Research Interests
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Systems and Networking

Research Mentor
Mohammed El-Kebir

Research/Engagement Experience
I was part of PURE (Promoting Undergraduate Research in Engineering) in my freshman year of college, where I got to work under a graduate mentor on implementing a Python algorithm aiming to optimize trading profits for leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs). And currently, I'm working on developing a visualization tool to depict the phylogenetic trees of tumor cells to help better understand the evolution of their mutations. Outside of research, I'm involved with Illinois Women in Computer Science as their Corporate Co-Chair, where I plan and host events with companies in hopes of connecting underrepresented students to networking and career opportunities, and I was also the 2022-23 Corporate Co-Chair for UIUC's Reflections | Projections, the Midwest's largest student-run tech conference!

Interests
Some of my CS-related interests include computing for social good, human-centered design, bioinformatics, machine learning, computer architecture, and system programming. Some of my personal interests include drawing, reading, going to the gym, and dancing!

Project Title
TBD

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
I felt very drawn to how much creativity and problem-solving there is in computer science, and I love that it can be applied to so many different fields! Its broad reach made me feel like I didn't have to be confined to any one box in this field, and I really value the fact that computer science can allow me to make a visible impact on the world, which is exactly what I hope to do one day.

What social interests matter to me?
I'm passionate about fostering diversity and inclusion in tech, especially about making women and non-binary engineers feel more welcomed and supported in this field. Equal access to education and promoting gender and sexuality equality are also very important to me.

What is my most impactful college experience?
Being the 2022-23 Corporate Co-Chair for Reflections | Projections (R|P) has been my most impactful college experience thus far because it's allowed me to develop a vision and bring an event to life alongside some amazing students! I've become a much more confident communicator and leader after getting the chance to speak with multiple company representatives and plan out various corporate tech talks. Students have also told me that the career fair that R|P Corporate plans has gotten them in direct contact with recruiters and got them through the door for internship and job opportunities, which is really fulfilling to hear!

These are a few of my favorite things!
Reading a book after a long day, dancing to hip hop or K-pop, going to the gym first thing in the morning, and eating home-cooked food!

Research Description
Professor El-Kebir’s lab focuses on cancer genomics and developing algorithms to infer the phylogenetic trees and evolution of tumors. One project they’re currently working on is determining ways to optimally combine the evolutionary trees of multiple separate sequences from tumors, and as part of his lab, I’m working on developing a visualization tool to depict what those merged trees might look like.

Biography
I'm Divya Koya, and I'm a junior majoring in computer science! I grew up in Fremont, California, where the temperature hardly drops below 50º Fahrenheit, so coming here for college was definitely a big change (fun fact: freshman year winter was my first time ever seeing snow falling). In my time on campus, I've been involved in Illinois Women in Computer Science (WCS), Reflections | Projections, HackIllinois, and now CS STARS! In my free time, you'll find me doodling on my iPad or on Post-it notes, or dancing while I'm cleaning my kitchen.